Categories: Business

5G wireless can cause flight chaos, US airlines warn

Some United States air carriers have warned that plans to use 5G wireless services could disrupt thousands of flights and cost air passengers $1.6 billion annually in delays.

Scott Kirby, chief executive of United Airlines, warned on Wednesday during the U.S. Commerce Committee hearing, adding that the plans to use C-Band spectrum for 5G wireless could delay, divert or cancel about 4 percent daily flights and affect hundreds of thousands of passengers.

This latest development is coming two days after MTN and Mafab Communications Limited were awarded licences for the deployment of the 5G spectrum in Nigeria.

Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), had also said 5G network is safe and necessary for social transformation.

“It would be a catastrophic failure of government,” Kirby said.

“Coming Jan. 5 — unless something changes — we will not be able to use radio altimeters at 40-something of the largest airports in the country.

“It is a certainty. This is not a debate.”

Kirby urged AT&T and Verizon Communications to delay plans to use the C-Band spectrum for 5G wireless services on airlines.

The two had planned to start using cell towers transmitting 5G signals using “newly acquired midband spectrum that won’t interfere with aircraft signals.”

They had also agreed to temporarily pause rolling out 5G service on midband spectrum until January 5, when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) raised concerns about the potential interference of 5G with sensitive aircraft electronics like radio altimeters.

Kirby further added that it would mean that at major U.S. airports in the event of bad weather, cloud cover, or even heavy smog, and could only do visual approaches essentially.

CTIA, an aviation industry group, however, said, “Fear mongering relies on completely discredited information and deliberate distortions of fact.”

It added that 5G operates safely and without causing harmful interference to aviation operations in nearly 40 countries around the world.ly 40 countries around the world.

Page: 1 2

Trends Admin

Recent Posts

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025

BREAKING: Super Eagles qualify for AFCON 2025 The Super Eagles of Nigeria have secured their…

3 hours ago

Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight

Disaster averted as bird strike hits Abuja-Lagos Air Peace flight    An Abuja-Lagos flight was…

5 hours ago

NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production

NNPC achieves 1.8mbpd crude oil production The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) and…

5 hours ago

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year The federal government has unveiled…

6 hours ago

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)…

6 hours ago

FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects

FG gets fresh $134m loan from AfDB for agric projects The Federal Government has secured a…

6 hours ago